Ayala’s cross country team raced in their second race of the season this past Saturday on September 6. The race was at the Silver Lakes Sports Complex for the annual PR City Invitational, where over 50 teams had the potential to showcase their runners’ talent and dedication early in the season.

​The 3-mile elite showdown for Ayala’s boys began at 9 p.m., showcasing ten of Ayala’s best runners motivated to showcase their talents. After the starter pistol rang off and the dust settled, Jack Paz (10) led the way for Ayala and finished in ninth place with a time of 14:35, starting his sophomore season with a huge personal record. Ayala’s cross country boys finished with a total score of 129, securing them a fourth-place finish while outscoring 17 other teams.  For the girls’ elite showdown that included ten of their own dedicated runners, Phoebe Kim (11) achieved a time of 18:09, paving the way for Ayala’s total score of 170 for a fifth-place finish.

​“My main goal for the start was to stick with the front group. In the second half, it started to get tough. But it’s still pretty early in the season, so there is a lot of work to be done,” Varsity runner Bryson Caganap (10) said.